Qualitative Research on Sun Protection at Hajj

The November 11, 2026, PLoS ONE study found that Hajj pilgrims and nurses recognized intense sun exposure as a problem but had limited understanding of ultraviolet radiation, UPF-rated products, and the difference between heat protection and UV protection. Read the original PLoS ONE study for the full methods, findings, and limitations.

• The PLoS ONE study interviewed 29 people between June 20 and July 11, 2025: 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses who had worked during Hajj.
• The PLoS ONE researchers identified five themes: physical and emotional effects, awareness gaps, cultural influences, barriers, and recommendations.
• The PLoS ONE study reported that participants often understood sun exposure primarily as a heat risk, while UV-related damage and UPF labeling received less attention.
• The PLoS ONE study found that language barriers, product cost, limited availability, discomfort, cultural clothing norms, and spiritual interpretations of hardship could reduce protective behavior.
• The PLoS ONE authors recommended structured education before and during Hajj, multilingual communication, affordable protective products, and messages that distinguish heat-related illness from UV-related harm.

The PLoS ONE study found that participants described sun exposure mainly through symptoms associated with heat, including exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, and fainting. The researchers emphasized that heat-related illness and UV-related harm are connected but require different preventive actions: hydration, rest, and cooling address heat risk, while sunscreen and UPF-rated clothing or umbrellas address UV exposure.

The PLoS ONE researchers conducted retrospective, semi-structured Zoom interviews within approximately one month after the 2025 Hajj season. The interviews lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes, were conducted in Arabic or English, and were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach.

The study reported that three researchers independently coded an initial 20% sample of transcripts, while the research team used member checking, translation auditing, peer discussion, and audit trails to support trustworthiness. The researchers assessed saturation separately for pilgrims and nurses, reaching it after 16 pilgrim interviews and 13 nurse interviews.

Participants described a gap between general awareness and practical knowledge. One nurse told the researchers, "Honestly, I have no knowledge about UV-protection products, " while another said it was the "first time I heard about UPF." A pilgrim explained, "I didn’t even know there are special fabrics for blocking UV rays."

The study also showed that behavior was not explained by knowledge alone. The PLoS ONE researchers reported that some older pilgrims interpreted enduring heat as part of the spiritual challenge of Hajj, while other participants described umbrella use as increasingly accepted. Practical access, comfort, price, clothing design, and communication determined whether people could act on their intentions.

Public health teams should treat Hajj sun protection as a behavior and communication problem, not only a product-availability problem. The PLoS ONE findings indicate that an effective intervention must explain separate heat and UV risks, use culturally appropriate language, and address the practical conditions that shape behavior.

• Pre-travel education should explain sunscreen, UPF, umbrellas, hydration, shade, rest, and cooling as related but distinct protective measures, following the PLoS ONE authors’ recommendations.
• Multilingual communication should be tested with the target audience because nurses in the PLoS ONE study described language differences as a major barrier during time-sensitive care.
• Product interventions should account for cost, availability, weight, comfort, breathable fabrics, and cultural clothing requirements because the PLoS ONE participants identified these factors as barriers.
• Qualitative researchers should compare pilgrims’ accounts with nurses’ observations because the PLoS ONE study found that the two groups emphasized different barriers.
• Research teams should preserve participant language and context during translation because the PLoS ONE study collected Arabic interviews and audited a random 20% of translated transcripts.

The study also illustrates why qualitative synthesis requires more than keyword counting. The phrase "sun exposure" could refer to heat exhaustion, spiritual endurance, UV damage, clothing discomfort, or a need for shade. Researchers need thematic interpretation, comparison across participant segments, and traceability from codes to supporting quotations.

The November 11, 2026, PLoS ONE study shows how interviews can reveal the cultural, practical, and communication factors behind sun protection behavior at Hajj. The study’s 29 participants described a need for clearer distinctions between heat and UV risk, better pre-travel education, multilingual communication, and more accessible protective products.

AI-enabled qualitative research can help health teams move from raw interview transcripts to defensible themes, cross-segment findings, and evidence-linked recommendations. Researchers should use AI to accelerate organization and comparison while retaining human review, ethical oversight, and contextual interpretation.

Teams analyzing interviews, open-ended surveys, or health research documents can try Evidano for free and explore an AI-assisted workflow for qualitative data analysis.